Nehemiah 12

1 This is a list of the priests and Levites who came back with Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the high priest: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

Now these [are] the priests and the Levites that went up with Zorobabel the son of Salathiel and Jesus: Saraia, Jeremia, Esdra,

2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

Amaria, Maluch,

3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Sechenia.

4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

5 Miniamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their relatives in Jeshua's time.

These [were] the chiefs of the priests, and their brethren in the days of Jesus.

8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his fellow Levites was in charge of the songs of praise.

And the Levites [were], Jesus, Banui, Cadmiel, Sarabia, Jodae, Matthania: he [was] over the bands,

9 Two other Levites, Bakbukiah and Unni, stood opposite them in the service.

and his brethren [were appointed] to the daily courses.

10 Jeshua the high priest was the father of Joiakim, who was the father of Eliashib, who was the father of Joiada,

And Jesus begot Joakim, and Joakim begot Eliasib, and Eliasib [begot] Jodae,

11 who was the father of Jonathan, who was the father of Jaddua.

and Jodae begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jadu.

12 In Joiakim's time, these were the family leaders of the priests: of the family of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

And in the days of Joakim, his brethren the priests and the heads of families [were, belonging] to Saraia, Amaria; to Jeremia, Anania;

13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

to Esdra, Mesulam; to Amaria, Joanan;

14 of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

to Amaluch, Jonathan; to Sechenia, Joseph;

15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

to Are, Mannas; to Marioth, Elcai;

16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

to Adadai, Zacharia; to Ganathoth, Mesolam;

17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin and of Moadiah, Piltai;

to Abia, Zechri; to Miamin, Maadai; to Pheleti, [one];

18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

to Balgas, Samue; to Semia, Jonathan;

19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

to Joarib, Matthanai; to Edio, Ozi;

20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

to Salai, Callai; to Amec, Abed;

21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

to Elkia, Asabias; to Jedeiu, Nathanael.

22 The family leaders of the Levites in the time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, in addition to those of the priests, were recorded during the reign of Darius the Persian.

The Levites in the days of Eliasib, Joada, and Joa, and Joanan, and Idua, [were] recorded heads of families: also the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian.

23 As for the genealogy of the sons of Levi, the family leaders up to the time of Johanan, son of Eliashib, were listed in the Book of the Records.

And the sons of Levi, heads of families, [were] written in the book of the chronicles, even to the days of Joanan son of Elisue.

24 The Levite leaders were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua, son of Kadmiel, together with their fellow Levites, who stood opposite them, each section giving praise and thanks and responding to one another, as arranged by David, the man of God.

And the heads of the Levites [were] Asabia, and Sarabia, and Jesu: and the sons of Cadmiel, and their brethren over against them, were to sing hymns of praise, according to the commandment of David the man of God, course by course.

25 They were joined by Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah. Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storehouses at the gates.

When I gathered the porters,

26 They served in the time of Joiakim, son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and in the time of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.

[it was] in the days of Joakim son of Jesus, son of Josedec, and in the days of Neemia: and Esdras the priest [was] scribe.

27 In order to dedicate the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were called from everywhere they were living to come to Jerusalem and celebrate with joy the dedication with songs of praise and thanks, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.

And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep a feast of dedication and gladness with thanksgiving, and they sounded cymbals with songs, and [had] lutes and harps.

28 The singers were also brought in from the area around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites,

And the sons of the singers were assembled both from the neighbourhood round about to Jerusalem, and from the villages,

29 as well as from Beth-gilgal and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built villages for themselves all around Jerusalem.

and from the country: for the singers built themselves villages by Jerusalem.

30 Once the priests and the Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people, and the porters, and the wall.

31 I had the leaders of Judah go up on the wall, and arranged two large choirs that to give thanks. One group went to right along the wall to the Refuse Gate.

And they brought up the princes of Juda on the wall, and they appointed two great [companies] for thanksgiving, and they passed on the right hand on the wall of the dung-gate.

32 Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,

And after them went Osaia, and half the princes of Juda,

33 with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

and Azarias, and Esdras, and Mesollam,

34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

and Juda, and Benjamin, and Samaias and Jeremia.

35 as well as some of the priests with trumpets, and Zechariah, son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph,

And [some] of the sons of the priest with trumpets, Zacharias son of Jonathan, son of Samaias, son of Matthania, son of Michaia, son of Zacchur, son of Asaph:

36 and his fellow priests, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, along with the musical instruments as required by David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led them.

and his brethren, Samaia, and Oziel, Gelol, Jama, Aia, Nathanael, and Juda, Anani, to praise with the hymns of David the man of God; and Esdras the scribe [was] before them,

37 At the Fountain Gate they headed straight up by the stairs of the city of David, where the wall goes uphill, above the house of David, and on to the Water Gate on the east.

at the gate, to praise before them, and they went up by the steps of the city of David, in the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, even to the water-gate

38 The other choir group went in the opposite direction. I followed them, along with half the people, on the wall passing the Tower of the Ovens, on to the Broad Wall,

39 over the Ephraim Gate, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate, stopping at the Guard Gate.

of Ephraim, and to the fish-gate, and by the tower of Anameel, and as far as the sheep-gate.

40 Both thanksgiving choirs then took their places in God's Temple. I followed with the group of leaders that was with me,

41 along with the priests blowing their trumpets: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah.

42 Then came the singers Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer, and the choirs sang, directed by Jezrahiah.

And the singers were heard, and were numbered.

43 Many sacrifices were offered that day, celebrating that God had brought them so much happiness, tremendous happiness. The women and children also celebrated, and the sounds of joy in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

And in that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced; for God had made them very joyful: and their wives and their children rejoiced: and the joy in Jerusalem was heard from afar off.

44 On the same day men were put in charge over the storerooms that contained the offerings, the first part of the crops, and tithes. What was allocated by the Law for the priests and Levites was brought into these storerooms from the fields around the towns, because all the people of Judah were happy for the service of the priests and Levites.

And in that day they appointed men over the treasuries, for the treasures, the first fruits, and the tithes, and [for] the chiefs of the cities who were assembled amongst them, [to furnish] portions for the priests and Levites: for [there was] joy in Juda over the priests and over the Levites that waited.

45 They were responsible for the worship of their God and for the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, following the instructions of David and his son Solomon.

And they kept the charges of their God, and the charges of the purification, and [ordered] the singers and the porters, according to the commandments of David and his son Solomon.

46 For long ago, back in the time of David and Asaph, directors had been appointed for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanks to God.

For in the days of David Asaph was originally first of the singers, and [they sang] hymns and praise to God.

47 So in the time of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, everyone in Israel provided the daily food allowances for the singers and the gatekeepers. They also made sure to provide for the other Levites, and the Levites gave a share of this to the descendants of Aaron.

And all Israel in the days of Zorobabel, and in the days of Neemias, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, a daily rate: and consecrated them to the Levites: and the Levites consecrated them to the sons of Aaron.